[ prin-suh-puhl ]
|||
noun
a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived: the principles of modern
physics.
a fundamental doctrine or tenet; a distinctive ruling opinion: the principles of the Stoics.
guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct: a person of principle.
an adopted rule or method for application in action: a working principle for general use.
It's Pi Day. Not pie, but pi (II, π), the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet. A homophone is "a word
pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning," as pie (the dessert) and pi (the ratio). Here
are some more tricky pairs ...
READ MORE
Is the head of a school called a principal or a principle? These two words are frustratingly similar, leaving
even the most experienced English speakers to second-guess which word means what.
READ MORE
ethic, foundation, doctrine, basis, truth, rule, proposition, precept, regulation, assumption,
fundamental, convention, origin, dictum, form, dogma, prescript, canon, maxim, source
on principle,
according to personal rules for right conduct; as a matter of moral principle: He refused on principle
to agree to the terms of the treaty.
according to a fixed rule, method, or practice: He drank hot milk every night on principle.
Origin of principle
1350–1400; Middle English, alteration of Middle French principe or Latin prīncipium, on the analogy of
manciple. See principium
principal principle (see usage note at principal) (see synonym study at the current entry)
1–3. Principle, canon, rule imply something established as a standard or test, for measuring, regulating,
or guiding conduct or practice. A principle is a general and fundamental truth that may be used in
deciding conduct or choice: to adhere to principle. Canon, originally referring to an edict of the Church
(a meaning that it still retains), is used of any principle, law, or critical standard that is officially
approved, particularly in aesthetics and scholarship: canons of literary criticism. A rule, usually
something adopted or enacted, is often the specific application of a principle: the golden rule.
See principal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
But the qualities Mario Cuomo brought to public life—compassion, integrity, commitment to
principle—remain in short supply today.
If the noble experiment of American democracy is to mean anything, it is fidelity to the principle of
freedom.
The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror|David Keyes|December 19, 2014|DAILY
BEAST
Let the record show that espousing principles is common; acting on principle is rare.
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principle
/ (ˈprɪnsɪpəl) /
noun
(often plural) a set of such moral ruleshe'd stoop to anything; he has no principles
adherence to such a moral code; moralityit's not the money but the principle of the thing; torn between
principle and expediency
Principle and principal are often confused: the principal (not principle) reason for his departure; the plan
was approved in principle (not in principal)
Principle
/ (ˈprɪnsɪpəl) /
noun
principle
[ prĭn′sə-pəl ]
n.
One of the elements composing a chemical compound, especially one that gives some special quality or
effect.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
principle
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
This Week’s Word Of The Day Quiz Might Make You Squee
This Week’s Word Of The Day Quiz Might Make You Squee
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